Friendly Flora. Gut Flora? 100 trillion bacteria in our body Most are not harmful Why do we have...
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Transcript of Friendly Flora. Gut Flora? 100 trillion bacteria in our body Most are not harmful Why do we have...
Gut Flora?
• 100 trillion bacteria in our body
• Most are not harmful
• Why do we have bacteria in our gut? – Digest food– Protect against illness
What are Probiotics?
• “For Life”
• Health benefits to humans
• “Cultured” or “Fermented” foods
• Found in yogurt, kefir, some cottage cheese
• “Live and Active Cultures”
• Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium
Benefits of Probiotics
• Health benefits
• Different types of bacteria have different health benefits
• May help with:– Healthy digestive tract– Immune system
Health Benefits
- Replenish “good bacteria” in gut
- Immunity– Most of our immune system in our gut
– More “good bacteria” = less sickness
- Antibiotic-related diarrhea– Prevent or reduce length and severity
- Inflammatory and irritable bowel
conditions– Relieve constipation
Where Can I Get Probiotics?
• Yogurt
• Yogurt drinks
• Frozen yogurt
• Cultured soy products
• Kefir
• Cottage Cheese
• Sweet Acidophilus® milk
Lactose Intolerance
• Difficulty digesting sugar in milk (lactose)– Nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea
• Bacteria in fermented dairy digests lactose
• If you are lactose intolerant:– Introduce fermented foods slowly– Allergy is NOT the same as intolerance
• Those with milk allergy should not try any dairy products
Yogurt
• Must be made with starter cultures– Lactobacillus bulgaricus– Streptococcus thermaophilus
• Improve lactose digestion
• Additional cultures often added
• Not all yogurt created equal– Different amounts of live bacteria
• Look for yogurt with added bacteria
*with L. acidophilusand B. bifidum
Caution: High Sugar
Frozen Yogurt
• Some brands add live bacteria
• Not as many bacteria as regular yogurt
• Good alternative to ice cream
½ cup Frozen Yogurt130 calories1.5 grams fat
½ cup Ice Cream240 calories16 grams fat
Cultured Soy
• Cultured soy yogurt, smoothies, frozen yogurt made from soy milk
• High quality protein, B-vitamins, calcium usually added
• Good alternative for milk allergy
Kefir• Cultured drink
– With “friendly” bacteria and yeast
• Helps improve lactose digestion
• Can be made from any type of milk– Cow, goat, sheep, coconut, rice or soy
• Kefir has many nutrients:– Protein, calcium, magnesium, and others– Lifeway Foods® adds inulin
Cottage Cheese
• Some brands add probiotics
• Low in calories
• High in protein
Nutrition Facts½ cup of low-fat cottage cheese: 80 calories 1 g fat 14 g protein 300 mg sodium
Sweet Acidophilus
• Same nutritional value as milk from which it is made
• “Friendly” bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus added
• Tastes and looks like regular milk
• Helps ease digestion and symptoms of lactose intolerance
How Much?• Clinical studies show that at least 1 billion
to 10 billion bacteria per day are needed– 4 cups of acidophilus milk
• Health benefits of drinking smaller amounts have not been proven
• Problem: most food products don’t list the amount of bacteria they contain
• Consume probiotics regularly
Safety
• Generally recognized as safe
• Not recommended for people with delicate or compromised immune system
• Increasing probiotics may cause intestinal discomfort at first– Incorporate fermented foods into your diet
slowly